I love this! Very nice positions. It’s good to be able to start ballet later in life nowadays. I started at 63, 3 years ago, and it’s very popular here in Norwich, England. Our classes have people from every decade from their teens to their sixties. Never too late.

Wow, 63? I did ballet for several years in my thirties/forties but my teacher died suddenly and it just wasn’t the same after that. I switched to flamenco and then belly dancing, but I still miss ballet. I’m now in my late fifties and saw an adult ballet class advertised last week – I was tempted but thought I was too old. Maybe I should be brave?

Be Brave! This could be a moment in your life that you’ll reflect on and you may feel an emptiness if you don’t take the class. Ballet, to me, is when your soul gets to be free. It’s when you dance with every emotion you’ve ever felt. You are never too old to be free. Best wishes. -JJ

Hi. I now know of you from tights and tiaras. I love that chicken head ballerina photo shoot!! I have seen ballerinas in Nutcracker mouse costumes, Peter and the Wolf cat, bird, duck and wolf costumes. But I haven’t ever seen a woman in a leotard wearing a chicken head. You win points for the unique catagory. :D

Oh this is sooo good, lovely pictures and colors, a good laugh, brilliant idea!
I may not exactly be an adult beginner, rather an adult re-beginner, but it often feels the same though. “The body” is just not the same anymore, bit harder to recuperate, but your blog is really inspiring. Even tough I had been dancing quit some time before starting again, I am still learning new things here and your humor is very encouraging to keep dancing; on and on and on!
Thanks for sharing .

just inspired by your blog. A good idea to take pictures of oneself. I started ballet at 30 years and I know the shape of my legs have changed, as well as my neck getting slightly longer as I push my shoulders down. I wish I would have taken a “Before” pic with my thick ankles, droopy calves, poor port de bras, and then maybe a picture every year, perhaps in 1st pos. to see how/if my turnout improves. This is a good idea… all adult beginners should do this! My tummy doesn’t look like Santa Claus anymore. I wish I had a pic of the “before” me in nothing but leo and tights. As horrific as it might have been it would be inspiring to see my own progress and a motivator to get off the couch and keep improving!

You’re freakin amazing. I love reading your post, because you just have an amazing way with words and an unique way of thinking! And I so love what you got going on here with your chicken head. Make a poster of it and I shall buy!

Love your blog and your brilliant chicken head costume! I so want one of my own to wear to classssssssssssssssssss. I’m also an adult beginner but in a fit of utter madness I switched to the Vaganova syllabus. And so the re-education begins ! Hurrah ! =)

I am absolutely loving these pics! That’s bravery and beauty all rolled up in a nice ballerina package lol =) I was looking for some advice from the elder crowd who once did ballet and years later decided to go back. I put my 3 year old daughter in Ballet, and she loves it, of course (what’s NOT to love??!!) and for the past few weeks I’ve been jealous of her. I quit Ballet after 15+ years to get married and have babies, and a while back I was told that it was sad to see an adult woman trying to do ballet because it was for little girls. I’m SO happy to see that I’m not the only one who feels nostalgic, free, and HOME when I dance, even as a 27 year old mother of 2. The studio I put my daughter in offers adult classes as well, beginner and intermediate. I think it may be time for me to put on the brave face, gather my gumption and go dance my little heart out again. Thanks for this blog, and thanks for showing me I’m not a silly nostalgic woman. =) However, did anyone else feel kinda silly walking into a dance supply store to pick out their (2nd) first pair of ballet slippers? I’m a little apprehensive to do so… advice?

Sorry for the novel, this blog got me all excited to open up my dancing possibilities again!

Who said it was sad?!?! I was shaking when I walked into my first class and by the time I was at the barre, everything was right with the world. The people you buy stuff from don’t and don’t need to know your story. Plus when you find what you like you just buy em online, LOL. Welcome to the wonderful world of adult ballet! :D

Don’t mean to be nit pecky, but a rather crude, childish, unsubtle, clever-challenged parody. It would have been much more tongue-in-‘chick’ had you been able to present a more nuanced, thoughtful plot that is based on more than just a trite play on words of the title of the classic work you lampoon. Five claws down.

I took up the way of the plie for the first time a year ago when I turned 55. One cannot help but appreciate and deeply respect the incredible level of financial, physical, psychological and emotional intensity, talent, hard work, perseverance etc. that goes into creating great ballet, the years and years of self sacrifice, training, fortitude, personal disappointment, physical injury and discomfort, never ending quest for resources, etc. Certainly not chicken feed.